While 1,500 competitors are expected to hit the mat at this year’s Grapplers Quest tournament in conjunction with the UFC’s second-ever UFC Fan Expo, another eight world-class contestants will meet up in individual superfights.

Held in conjunction with this month’s “UFC 114: Rampage vs. Evans” event, the UFC Fan Expo takes place May 28 and 29 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas.

“For grappling fans, this is an awesome opportunity to see some of the world’s best ground fighters compete against one another,” UFC president Dana White stated in today’s official release.

The action starts on Friday, May 28 at 1 p.m. PT local time when South African Thomas meets Baszler, followed by Cooper vs. Franca.

Thomas was the 2007 Abu Dhabi Combat Club submission wrestling champion and finished second in the 2009 edition of the world championship event. A Gracie Humaitá grappler, Thomas has won numerous gi and no-gi titles in her grappling career.

Meanwhile, Baszler, a Josh Barnett protegé, owns an 11-6 career MMA record with 10 of those victories coming by way of submission.

Cooper is a 23-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu whiz who received his black belt at age 20. With multiple submission grappling titles to his name, Cooper returns to the UFC Fan Expo superfights after competing against Joe Stevenson in the 2009 edition of the event.

The grapplers return to the mat on Saturday, May 29 at 1 p.m. PT local time when Paixao meets Uno and Glover faces Vazquez.

A Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and Las Vegas-based instructor, Paixao currently competes in the WEC. After a rocky start with a decision loss and a no contest, Paixao finally notched his first WEC victory over Courtney Buck at WEC 47 in March.

Meanwhile, Uno, a near-14-year MMA veteran, has faced the best in the world in both Japan and the U.S. Uno was recently released by the UFC after a three-fight stint in the organization.

The 27-year-old Glover, a 23-time Grapplers Quest champion and Team Paragon grappler, returns to the UFC Fan Expo superfights for the second time after facing Paixao in the 2009 edition.

Vazquez is a Carlos Gracie Team black belt who began competing in MMA in 1998. “Showtime” recently earned his first WEC win after back-to-back razor-thin split-decision losses. Nine of Vazquez’s 14 career wins have come via submission.

The grappling superfights are just one of several activities – including autograph opportunities, training sessions and product demonstrations – available during the fan expo.

As the UFC 189 tour made its last stop in Dublin, featherweight champ Jose Aldo was met with a torrent of abuse from the Irish fans. It might have been unpleasant, but it might also have been just what he needed.